Kalriath writes: After calling the United States "the enemy" at the NetHui conference last week (reported on Slashdot), Judge David Harvey has stepped down from the Dotcom case citing beliefs that the comments could reflect on his impartiality.
From the New Zealand Herald:

An internet law expert, Judge Harvey had been considered the perfect choice to hear arguments on whether Dotcom and his Megaupload colleagues should be extradited by the United States to face charges of criminal copyright violation.
The district court's chief judge Jan-Marie Doogue said Judge Harvey had made the decision to step down from hearing the case.
"He recognises that remarks made in the context of a paper he delivered on copyright law at a recent internet conference could reflect on his impartiality and that the appropriate response is for him to step down from the case.

No word on what this means for the extradition hearing, but it probably isn't good news for Dotcom.